Rename a file during install of a Debian package

Question

I have a python script that I want to package for Debian. I use a debian/install file where I wrote

auto_dice.py /usr/bin/

Linitan then complains about the .py extension (script-with-language-extension).

I then changed it to

auto_dice.py /usr/bin/autodice.py

which causes an error because it interpreted autodice.py as a directory.

How can I do the rename there? I do not want to rename my python script in the sources.

Solution 1

You cannot rename files using dh_install (via the debian/install). You will need to rename it during the debian/rules "build" target before you get to the dh_install invocation.

Solution 2

From Debian bug 245554 already mentioned:

this can already be easily solved if you use dh >= 9 and dh-exec. Just make your .install file executable, add #!/usr/bin/dh-exec to the top, and you can use "source => dest", like this:

#!/usr/bin/dh-exec
debian/default.conf => /etc/my-package/start.conf

Comments

[somasekhar]

so it will be build: \\ mv auto_dice.py autodice?

[Kees Cook]

likely the mv would happen in the target directory rather than the build directory, but yeah, you'd have to add the move before calling dh_install.

[Matrix_Neo]

For a bug report requesting this feature, see bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=245554

[zerkms]

@Kees Cook: if you rename it in the target directory - would apt-get still be able to remove the file after package removal/upgrading?

[Alexis Wilke]

This definitely is the best way. Not much to do really, just make sure you have dh-exec installed and then enter the list of files to be installed with a different name. Very easy!